Category: Recipes

Quinoa Chocolate Cake & Frosting

Leave a comment

kris-phone_20181206 1652

Quinoa, that ancient grain we all know and love! I promise, you’ll love it even more in cake form!!

I have been baking this cake for years. If you have ever been to a birthday party for one of our kids, chances are you’ve tried it in cake or cupcake form! It is a family favourite & I am so excited to share it with you!

20180321_143101-01

Quinoa Chocolate Cake

Ingredients: 

  • 1/3 cup dairy free milk
  • 2 eggs or 3 flax eggs
  • 2 cups of cooked Quinoa
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup apple sauce
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 cup cocoa
  1. if using a flax egg, whisk 3 tbs of ground flax seeds with 7.5 tbs of water in a small bowl. set aside & allow to set for 5 min.
  2. add eggs or flax eggs, milk, sea salt, baking soda, powder & apple cider vinegar to a food processor – blend till it looks bubbly & frothy.
  3. add Quinoa, oil, apple sauce & coconut sugar. Continue blending & stopping to scrape down sides every minute. Continue for approximately 5 minutes or until it looks like a smooth batter.
  4. pour batter into a mixing bowl – scrape with a spatula to get all the batter!
  5. add & mix in cocoa. pour into prepared baking pan*
  6. bake at 350 F for 40 minutes

* makes 1 round cake pan, 1 dozen cup cakes or 8×8 pan.

kris-phone_20181206 1593kris-phone_20181206 1594kris-phone_20181206 1598

 

Chocolate Frosting

  1. in a saucepan on low heat melt: – 1.5 cups of dark chocolate or dairy free chocolate chips
  2. with: -3/4 cup  oat milk (works well with coconut & almond but I love the mild flavour & creaminess of oat)
  3. once melted & combined place in fridge to cool & harden for 2-4 hrs (I have rushed it in freezer for 30 min, storing every 10 min!)
  4. once cooled & hardened scrape in a bowl (I use my Kitchen Aid stand mixer) & mix & whip until it peaks
  5. if too thick add more milk 1 Tbs at a time

From my Home to Yours,

Kristin

Top 3 Recipes Made by YOU in 2018

Leave a comment

Happy last day of 2018! I am always so honored & excited when I hear or see you making and enjoying a recipe!! With that in mind, I thought I would share, not my top 9 “liked” Instagram photos, but instead the top recipes MADE by YOU! Thankyou, from the bottom of my heart, for following me along this past year – Looking forward to 2019! Happy New Year, Friends!

 

Quinoa Banana Muffins

IMG_6644IMG_6645

dry ingredients: 

1 cup quinoa flakes

1 cup of quinoa flour

1/2 cup ground flax seed

1/4 cup hemp hearts

3 tbs chia seeds

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

sea sat

wet ingredients: 

2 mashed bananas

1/2 cup apple sauce

1/2 cup dairy free milk

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tbs apple cider vinegar

  1. mix wet & dry in separate bowls
  2. add wet to dry & fold until dry completely disappears, don’t over stir
  3. pour into prepared muffin pan
  4. bake at 375 for 18-20 min

Zucchini Banana Bread

IMG_6640IMG_6641

wet ingredients:

mash 2 bananas

1/3 cup grated zucchini

1/2 cup apple sauce

1/4 cup almond milk

1 tbs apple cider vinegar .

dry ingredients:

1 cup almond flour

1 cup oat flour

1 cup oats

1/4 cup hemp hearts

1/4 cup ground flax seeds

3 tbs chia seeds

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

dash of cinnamon & sea salt

  1. mix wet & fry separate
  2. fold the dry ingredients into the wet
  3. optional: we added 1/4 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate chunks on top
  4. Fill prepared loaf pan
  5. bake 350° 30-40min

Peanut Butter Crispy Squares

IMG_6643IMG_6642

for bottom layer: (in sauce pan melt & mix)

2 tbs coconut oil

1/2 cup peanut butter*

1/2 cup maple syrup*

mix & add:

3 cup Go Go Quinoa puffed quinoa Or Natures Path Organic puffed rice

  1. mix & press into a 9×13 pan

top chocolate layer:

melt 1/2 cup dark chocolate

1 tbs coconut oil in saucepan

  1. spread on top & refrigerate until hard – approx 1 hr.

* can sub for Almond butter & Honey

 

 

Peanut Butter Cups

Leave a comment

IMG_5126

 

my Grandma always made chocolate peanut butter treats at Christmas when I was growing up. the flavour combo is so nostalgic & this season – ok, all seasons – just need the chocolate, PB combo!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1-2 tbs coconut flour

3 tbs maple syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla – mix in a bowl – roll into small ball & flatten into a patty – melt a bar of dark chocolate (I like 85%) + 1 tbs coconut oil – pour a small amount of chocolate into the bottoms of a lined muffin tin – place peanut butter patty into center & cover with more chocolate – sprinkle with sea salt & freeze until hardened – store in fridge or freezer. .

 

IMG_5405

Turtle Cups

Leave a comment

ACS_0056.jpg

 

I am such a sucker for all things sweet & salty! Chocolate & nuts of any kind is just my perfect treat! I love that “Turtle” combo & you see them everywhere at this time of year! So I have been so excited to make my own this Christmas season.

Step 1: 

Date Caramel

  1. Soak 1 cup of dates in warm water for 6-8 hours.
  2. Once soft, drain water & place the dates in a food processor.
  3. Add 1 tbs coconut oil + 3 tbs oat milk + 1 tsp vanilla + sea salt.
  4. Blend, stopping to scrape the sides, until smooth.
  5. Add 1 tbs of oat milk at a time if needed or until you reach desired consistency.

 

Step 2: 

Turtle Cups

  1. In a saucepan, melt 1 cup of chocolate. My favourite combo is 1/2 80% Camino dark bar + 1/2 Enjoy Life mini chips.
  2. Line a muffin pan (I chose mini pan!) & scoop approximately 1/2 tsp of chocolate into bottom of liners. You want the bottom to be covered in a thin layer.
  3. Drop a couple small pieces of pecans + a small scoop of date caramel into the middle of the chocolate.
  4. Cover or fill remainder of the cup with chocolate. Top with course sea salt if desired!
  5. Allow to harder in fridge or freezer.

Enjoy Friends! 

Kristin

Gingerbread Cookies

Leave a comment

ACS-0052 (1)

These are one of our families favorite Christmas Cookies! I have made these for several years & have two versions to share. Wheat free (Spelt Flour) & G-free (Buckwheat + Oat Flour) but both are free of dairy, eggs & refined sugars. Perfect for any cookie platter this Christmas. Enjoy Friends!

Gingerbread Cookies

yield: approx. 3 dozen      bake: 350 for 8-10min 

wet ingredients: 

1/2 cup coconut oil (melted & room temp)

1/2 cup molasses

1 tbs apple cider vinegar

dry ingredients: 

1/4 cup ground flax seed

3 cups of Spelt Flour OR 1 3/4 cup Buckwheat + 1.5 cup Oat Flour

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

dash of sea salt

  1. Mix wet & dry ingredients separate bowls.
  2. add the wet to dry & combine with a fork or (I recommend) using your hands. they will keep the coconut oil warm for easy mixing & rolling
  3. roll till approx 1/8 of an inch thick. cut with cookie cutters
  4. place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. bake for 8-10 min at 350 degrees.
  5. remove from oven & allow them to cool. decorate if desired!

ACS-0053 image

Kristin

Almond Oat Pancakes

Leave a comment

I have always been team pancake in the world of breakfast food! I don’t own a waffle iron so maybe that is why? But either way, pancakes are a meal at least once a week in our house! They are normal Saturday morning thing, but have been known to make an appearance as a quick lunch or even a dinner!

When I was growing up my Dad always made these unreal, thick and fluffy pancakes. They are my Grandfathers favourite, the love runs deep and through the generations! It happened to be my Dad who started with an Oat based recipe several years ago that changed the face of pancakes in our family! I tried to alter and tweak using only the ingredients I wanted and after many fails, I finally got these right! Hope you enjoy these as much as we do.

20180623_094929_HDR

Almond Oat Pancakes

Ingredients:

3 cups dairy free milk

1 tbs apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup apple sauce

1.5 cups oat flour

1 cup oats

1 cup almond flour

1/4 cup flax

1/4 cup hemp

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

sea salt

Directions:

  1. add and mix apple cider vinegar to milk, set aside for 5 minutes.
  2. measure and mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl
  3. add milk mixture and apple sauce to dry ingredients
  4. fry on an oiled pan or griddle
  5. top and enjoy!
Kristin